Watch: Michelangelo Signorile Talks to Gays Who Voted Republican

Following last week's election, in which Republicans took back the House, at least one exit poll reported that more than one-third of gay people voted for the GOP. On his radio show, Michelangelo Signorile talked to gays who voted Republican and asked them why.

I'm glad I live in a country where there is a choice of more than two parties for whom to vote. If I were American, I'd go insane having to pick either a party who hates me or a party too fraidy-cat to stick up for me. What a shame.

Posted by: Derek Pearce | Nov 8, 2010 9:09:59 AM

Does anyone have any of the actual numbers for 'gays who voted'? We're told the percentage voting for Republicans increased, but what are the actual numbers? If gay Democrats stayed home and gay Republicans stayed the same, that would still appear as an increase in the percentage of Republican votes from gay voters.

Well considering that Republicans lawyers are the only ones that have done anything about DADT, they could make a point that socially liberal and fiscally conservative Republicans might be better for the gay lobby.

I'm angry with them all, but Democrats across the board might not be the best thing. Log Cabin Republicans might be the future, as twisted as that is.

Posted by: Alpha | Nov 8, 2010 9:15:17 AM

Wow talk about uninformed, short-sighted and just plain stupid electorate. Whoever said you get the governement you deserve hit the nail on the head with those guys.

Posted by: nyrkr | Nov 8, 2010 9:18:37 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_consciousness

Posted by: David | Nov 8, 2010 9:20:26 AM

The first two callers come from the stooge branch of GOP enablers that don’t know any better, so you can sort of see where they are coming from. The guy from Maine of course is from the Thurston Howell III country club branch. He wants tax money spent on him and his comforts not those “other” people. Unfortunately the second group is the one that is totally unreasonable and can’t be reached with any amount of logic. Its about money and race always has been always will be. I got mine now fuck everyone else. I vote my checkbook.

Posted by: KevinSF | Nov 8, 2010 9:22:33 AM

Isn't it interesting that the do-nothing-but-bitch commenters who place total blame on Obama, are now completely silent on this one.

Posted by: Q | Nov 8, 2010 9:27:29 AM

No one is putting total blame on Obama. We just give him the share of it he deserves.

Our community comes in all shapes and sizes and intelligence levels. That's what these calls prove.

Posted by: justiceontherocks | Nov 8, 2010 9:35:52 AM

I was completely dumbfounded by the last caller...he voted for an anti-gay Republican because of his "check book"...I don't even know what to say to that.

Posted by: Vince | Nov 8, 2010 9:47:57 AM

When the hens invite the fox back into the henhouse, the celebratory meal is always chicken... these fools are the ones who will be served up first, they just don't realize it!

Posted by: CKNJ | Nov 8, 2010 9:56:58 AM

Justiceontherocks, that is bullshit and you know it. Have you even READ the comments of the past few months? Go back TWO posts and read those comments. Puh-leeze. Gays want to blame everyone and anyone but themselves and Obama is the biggest, easiest target. They never want to address THEIR lack of action, THEIR lack of organization or THEIR lack of commitment. They feel entitled to rights without having to get bloody on the frontlines. "Let someone else carry a sign or get arrested, I'll just bitch about Obama." I think that last caller summed it up perfectly. Basically he said "I got my money, my man and my child. Fuck everyone else." I applaud Signorile for shining the light back in the faces of the "gay community"[barf].

Posted by: Q | Nov 8, 2010 10:01:54 AM

Okay. That is totally fucked up. Voting for someone that is anti gay and against civil rights will make things better? Or to send a MESSAGE? Cheesus Keeerissst!

Posted by: Island Girly | Nov 8, 2010 10:16:33 AM

without equality - what else matters?

Posted by: Disgusted American | Nov 8, 2010 10:19:16 AM

the 30% poll is completly FLAWED

- 110 people /sample size at 1 voting site out of millions across the nation

- self selecting of being asked ones sexual orientation at spot

the 30% BS is only partially accurate for that 1 voting site area and not reflective of gays nationally

Now, that does not mean 30% of registered gay voters didn't vote repub. Heck 90% could have (though highly improbable) Just that this particular study/poll is completely FLAWED for taking a look at how gays voted on Nov 2

Posted by: mstrozfckslv@yahoo.com | Nov 8, 2010 10:24:14 AM

I understand his frustration, perhaps he should not have voted at all..(first guy)I have always voted democrat or independent and considered myself democrat..but that being said, I fiscally believe in the republican party..I think the democrats are pussies and have absolutely no balls..there are a lot of promises made but no follow through, and they are horrible with money.
That being said, Obama should have focused more on jobs and economy when he got in office, but even if he had, 2 years is not enough time for anyone to bring this country out of the toilet that Bush put it.
The democrats do need to get the message, but if they ever do they need to grow a pair to follow through.

Posted by: mnrocko | Nov 8, 2010 10:26:54 AM

At least one third of openly gay and lesbian voters - more than 40% in conservative states like Kentucky - voted Republican this year. And that's just the people who bothered to show up.

Many more simply refused to donate money to the DNC, HRC, etc. and stayed home or went on vacation on election day. That's the demographic the Democrats should be really concerned about. Because, in all likelihood, they are gone for the foreseeable future too.

This is a significant realignment of a small portion the electorate. It isn't a game changer for 2012 yet. But it is a sign that the Democrats, due largely to their own incompetence, are having problems with their base. And if this mood spreads to other key constituencies, then Barack Obama is a one-term president.

Posted by: John | Nov 8, 2010 10:39:58 AM

MNROKO

neoliberalism is bad with $ due its embrace of "free market" solutions

FDR proved that liberalism/democrats now how to build /rebuild an economy

Heck Eisenhower (R) had like 90% income tax on everything over 1 million dollars and was able to put people to work and build the national road system

the rise of neoliberalism with clinton's embrace of the repub BS of "free markets" and obama's total embrace of bankers vs unions is what has caused the modern democratic party to mess up on $. In other words being repub lite fiscally

The answer is to ditch neoliberalism and return to old time liberalism fiscally

Posted by: mstrozfckslv@yahoo.com | Nov 8, 2010 10:41:08 AM

My opinion is clearly in the minority here, but isn't it more stupid to continue to support a party that breaks it's promises to you? The Democrats did need to be sent a message and I'm glad gays are getting some of the credit for it. Because of this, maybe the next time the Democrats are in power someone in the leadership may say, "we better keep our promises on gay rights because we can't take their votes for granted, they are willing to vote the other way if we lie to them."
A Republican controlled House will do exactly the same thing for gays as the last Democratic controlled House, nothing. But in the long term, what happened on Tuesday will be for the best.

Posted by: Ken | Nov 8, 2010 10:48:40 AM

Gay couples who aren't legally married pay higher taxes than straight married couples. So even if it is all about money, you still come out on the bottom.

I have been voting Republican since 2006 after analyzing my political stance and what is truly important to me. I have never experienced prejudice that can be fixed by laws and as the third caller on this recording stated there are so many other aspects of our lives that have nothing to do with our sexuality. As I look at those aspects of my life I am generally conservative and more of my issues are supported by the Republican party than the Progressives(Socialists).

I want to see illegal immigration brought to a close and all illegals sent packing, I want to see a military that carries a big stick and won't hesitate to decimate terror supporting countries, I want to see our withdrawl from the UN, Stop all monetary support of foreign countries, make the U.S. attractive to do business by getting rid of Unions, ridiculous regulation and a better corporate income tax structure. Pass a balanced budget Amendment. Gay marriage and DADT are not on my radar as high level issues; they just won't have any impact on my life. Having a high paying job is my number one issue; and if our economy suffers that seems to negatively impact my life at an exponentially higher level than DADT, DOMA or Gay Marriage.

Would it be helpful if these were passed;sure as we won't have to hear about it any more and its the right thing to do.

Posted by: Jason2 | Nov 8, 2010 10:52:47 AM

Disclaimer: Everyone is entitled to their opinion and thoughts, for sure and I appreciate and get that. But come on...these people that called in were very frustrating to listen to - you don't vote for a party that is clearly not in favor of looking out for our (GLBT) best interests...and really, what kind of a message are you sending Democrats by voting Republican - that you really don't care about civil and equal rights, etc...does that help us for the next round of voting that may take place. Nicely done!

Second comment was around working hard for your money vs having civil rights – that’s just f'ed up! Most of us do work hard for our money - and the people 'sitting at home not working' most of them want to work, but there are not enough jobs at the moment! However, what's also f'ed up with that line of thinking is that you lose or don't gain any new civil rights, how good is that quality of life no matter how much money you have sitting in your checking account? And, your comment that you can't believe the open checkbook the Democrats had and how much they spent - you do realize the large chunk of the deficit Obama and the government inherited was from the Bush era...the additional money - stimulus money, while sizable in its own right, did make a positive difference (instead of a boatload of money going to fight a war that GW Bush has now admitted in his new book that 'mistakes were made'). The adage you have to spend money to make money is logical here - we needed to stimulate our economy to get businesses to want to spend money, hire people again, etc.

We are a 'sound bite nation' and to reasonably expect that the wrongs of the previous 8 years could be all righted in under 2 years is ridiculous - and never would happen in an actual business without real drastic cuts (and no Republican or Democrat in office will vote for that)...if the USA was a company, we'd have folded and probably been bailed out ourselves already!

But to actually know that things were not good fiscally or socially during the Bush era, and to STILL vote Republican out of spite or to "send a message" is illogical - all your vote did was send us back two steps...I hope I am proven wrong over the next two years and the Republicans actually work with the Democrats to repeal DADT, vote pro-gay marriage, and vote to spend money to improve our infrastructure and get people working again…but if not - I hope all of you who decided to 'send a message' can live with that voting decision and you come back to reality in 2012.

Posted by: DSCinSEA | Nov 8, 2010 10:59:38 AM

The elephant in the room here is greed....and it may well be the downfall of the non-regulated capitalist system. When the pocketbook trumps equality and self-respect we have a huge problem.